[maddog]

I have a number of questions I'm hoping someone can answer

1. Does anyone know if it is as easy as it looks to swap the output shaft?

i personally beleive the proper way to swap it is to take the trans out of the car and take the trans apart the right way but it can be done the other way but make sure u know wut ur doing

2. When one pulls the output shaft, how hard is it to get out the VCU and the planetary assembly? Can it be done without having to drop the entire transaxle?

if u take the trans apart with it out of the car its not hard. if its still in the car you have to pry gears away and etc which is a pain

3. Can a VCU be tested, before pulling it out, to see if it works properly?
Edit: Answer (quoted from WoodroweBones):

Test #1:
Pull E-brake, put car in 1st gear and slip clutch a little. The car should dip in the rear and rise at the front

Test #2:
Hold 3 wheels and have someone try to spin the free rear wheel. Should be lots of resistance

Test #3:
With the rear tires on the ground and the front in the air try to spin both front tires in the same direction. Should resist.

4. What kind of symptoms will a bad VCU give, other than wheel spin?

drain the fluid, usually if its bad the fluid that comes out is a lot darker and thicker than usual

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